The lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium shone a little brighter on Friday as Serena and Venus Williams walked onto the US Open 2026 doubles court together once again. Four years after their last Grand Slam doubles appearance, the legendary sisters returned to New York to a deafening reception from 23,000 fans.
The result, however, belonged to Australia’s Maya Joint and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching, who held their nerve to beat the Williams sisters 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) in a dramatic first-round battle. Yet for the crowd, the night was less about the scoreboard and more about witnessing two icons share the court one more time.
Simply epic!
This is how Serena and Venus make it 5-5 in the third! pic.twitter.com/WyEEvEDBzo
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2026
Serena and Venus Williams US Open 2026 Campaign Ends
Serena, 44, walked onto the court wearing a shiny customised bomber jacket decorated with patches celebrating her US Open singles and doubles triumphs. Venus, 46, stood beside her as the sisters carried matching pink bags onto the court.
The comeback carried the weight of more than two decades of shared success. Together, Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including two US Open crowns, while they have also collected three Olympic gold medals as a team.
Serena and Venus Williams wave goodbye to the US Open crowd.
Leaving with smiles on their faces.
The sisters who changed the sport as we know it…
What a gift that we got to watch them side by side again in 2026.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 5, 2026
Joint and Chan, the 14th seeds, handled the electric atmosphere to take the opening set 6-3. The Williams sisters responded in the second, feeding off the energy inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to force a deciding set.
The Americans showed that their competitive spirit had not disappeared, going toe-to-toe with their younger opponents as the crowd desperately tried to carry their long-time idols over the finish line.
Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching Beat William Sisters
Joint and Chan ultimately edged the deciding super tiebreak 10-7 to complete a 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) victory after more than three hours of play.
“Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special,” Joint said on court.
For Joint, the occasion was particularly significant. The 20-year-old Australian had already faced Serena in singles at Wimbledon, where she defeated the American during Serena’s comeback.
Joint admitted she struggled to put the experience into words.
“I’m lost for words to think of it,” she said. “She’s my idol, both of them. I grew up in Michigan so I always looked up to them. Being able to play them twice is amazing.”
Serena and Venus Williams to Miss Press Conference
Following their emotional US Open doubles comeback, the Williams sisters will reportedly not be available for press conferences.
According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, Serena and Venus will not face the media following their first-round doubles defeat.
With their future as a doubles team uncertain, Friday’s appearance may have been another farewell for two of the most influential players in tennis history. Regardless of the result, the Arthur Ashe crowd made sure their return was celebrated as a moment far bigger than the final score.
(With inputs from Reuters)
